Have you ever been in a situation where you were ready to close, and suddenly your prospect retreated? You probably have. As sales professionals, we need to be good at selling. We also must be good motivators.
I remember one time when I was observing a sales professional take a procrastinating prospect and jolt them into action with just one question. It was early in my career, and I was learning the sales process by shadowing a veteran top-performer named Curtis. Curtis had been talking to a prospect about enrolling in a 12-week leadership course, and Curtis began to bring things to a close. Just at that point, the prospect said “But this isn’t a good time”. At this point, I expected Curtis to go back to selling by reviewing the benefits and all they had talked about. Curtis didn’t do that. Instead, he put a smile on his face and quickly responded by saying, “Is there ever a good time?” They both laughed. The prospect said, “Good point”. Next, he grabbed a pen and signed up for the course.
Curtis was a seasoned salesperson who knew how to be in step with his prospect. There came a time when he needed to shift from “selling” to “motivating”, and Curtis was right on with his “harpoon” question. Curtis taught me that asking a question can be a much better motivator than making a statement.
